1. Field
Embodiments relate to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a non-volatile memory device having a bad block remapping function and a bad block remapping method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flash memory devices are non-volatile memory devices for electrically recording and erasing data. Memory cells of a flash memory device are configured in a plurality of blocks, and each of the blocks includes a plurality of pages. In particular, a block is an elementary unit for erasing data stored in a memory cell.
Flash memory devices program and erase data by using a tunneling effect, in which a particle penetrates a high energy barrier, and a hot carrier effect, in which a hot carrier having a high kinetic energy penetrates an insulating material. Since flash memory devices program and erase data, data can be programmed in a flash memory cell a limited number of times, and the flash memory cell might fail to write data. In addition, due to a variety of restrictions on manufacturing flash memory devices requiring a high integration density, defective flash memory cells might be manufactured.
During the manufacture or operation of flash memory devices, a fatal problem can occur in a memory cell. A block having at least one defective memory cell is referred to as a bad block. A flash memory device having an at least predetermined number, e.g., at least five, of bad blocks is determined to be a failure article.
A flash memory device having a predetermined number or less of bad blocks uses a method of managing a bad block. An example of the method includes a bad block mapping method in which a bad block is replaced with a redundant block. The bad block mapping method includes checking an address of the bad block, impeding writing and reading data in the bad block, replacing the bad block with the redundant block, and writing and reading data in the redundant data.